Central Valley Jobs Blog

You’ve no doubt heard the expression that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  One of the most important areas that this phrase holds true is your search for employment.  Making that first impression is crucial and it comes not only  in the form of personal contact, but also your resume, your email address, and the outgoing message on your voice mail.  It’s a lot to worry about, but taking steps at the beginning of your job search can reap benefits down the road.

Current technology allows you to apply for jobs without actually having any personal interaction in the beginning of the process.  While this may be convenient for the employer, it can in turn, be a hindrance for the job seeker.  This means that your first impression is going to be your resume.  A survey done by CareerBuilder states that thirty eight percent of HR managers spend one to two minutes reviewing a resume.  That’s a maximum of 120 seconds to make an impression and to show that you’re a candidate the employer should interview.

Tailoring your resume for the specific positions you apply for can help.  Do not, under any circumstance include false information however.  If a position’s primary duties and functions resemble something you may only have limited experience in, be sure to highlight what experience you do have.  Sometimes it can make all the difference.

It’s becoming common practice for companies to accept resumes online and use an automated resume sorting program.  These programs scan your resume and look for certain keywords that have been programmed in and correspond with that particular job posting.  This is another convenience for the employer but can hurt the job seeker.  If a job description matches your skills, be sure that your resume contains the right keywords.  It’s difficult to know which keywords will be effective since all programs differ, but normally the employers job description wording can be a good indicator.

Another aspect that isn’t given much thought in first impressions is your email address.  If an employer has two candidates they are choosing from, your email address could play a part in getting an interview or not.  For example, an employer need to email a potential candidate.  One candidate’s email address is kegstandchamp@fakedomain.com  and the other candidates email address is John.Doe@fakedomain.com.  If they are looking for someone who gives off a professional vibe, chances are they will go with the latter.

This doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your favorite fun email address.  Save that for personal contacts.   When it comes to your job search however, it may be best to set up a straight forward email address through Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo.

Out going voice mail messages may also leave an impression.  Having a message that was recorded during a party may not leave the best impression to the prospective employer who is calling it.  The voice mail that corresponds to the phone number on your resume should be clear, concise and include your full name.

In the last few years social networking sites have taken the world by storm.  Posting pictures from family outings and vacations, up to the minute updates on your status and voicing opinions has never been easier and all are now part of our normal daily routine.  As with everything, social networking sites also have their downside.  More and more employers are searching the profiles of potential candidates to find out what shows up online.  Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn have all become one more consideration in the resume sorting and hiring process.  If you don’t want the world to see it, keep your profiles set to private.

Finding employment in today’s economical climate is stressful enough.  The added pressure of making sure your bases are covered can be pretty overwhelming.  It’s always a good idea to create and use a checklist before starting your job search.  Setting yourself up for success in the beginning will make things easier and will help you make that positive first impression.

Before the economic crisis, having a gap on your resume may have sent up a red flag.  Employers wanted to know the reason for these gaps in employment and some resources say you should always account for those gaps in your resume by outlining what you did with the time you weren’t working.

With the turn of events our country has taken and the resulting recession and economic crisis, layoffs have become more common place than they were just a few short years ago.  It’s not a unique experience now when an employer comes across a resume that has some sort of gap in employment history.  These should still be explained but the manner in which you do so can either hurt you or help you.

Discussing your employment  and non-employment time-lines can be a bit daunting but Wall Street Journal has posted an article that gives some good pointers on how to approach this very topic.  Click here to read the article.

With the advancements in technology it’s only logical for companies to advance all of their systems.  While this can be a good thing, sometimes it can also spell certain doom for those trying to apply for open positions.  With the current job market, the competition is more fierce than ever.  Human Resource departments are getting inundated with applicants for any and all positions and because of this, more and more companies are moving to automated systems.  While this may be a benefit to the company, it can, and most likely will, work against the job seeker.

Writing a resume can be hard enough without having to make sure you hit on all of the points listed in a job description.  These days you now have to worry about whether or not your resume contains the proper keywords.  Keywords that will be recognized by the electronic applicant tracking system that company may be using.  It’s imperative to re-evaluate your resume to make sure it’s up to the task of being put through one of these automated systems.  Yahoo! HotJobs posted a great article listing 7 tips on mastering these automated systems.  Head on over here to read their full article.

Completing a resume can be a daunting task.  You’re forced to remember every detail of each position you’ve had, dates, accomplishments among other things.  Sometimes it’s necessary to tailor your resume for a certain position you’re applying for.  Pushing the boundaries on your skills and accomplishments may seem like an innocent white lie, but those can come back to bite you in the worst way.

In the current employment climate, the competition is fierce and the amount of applicants for each available job is staggering.  You want to highlight your skills and experience in the best possible light while staying honest.  Wall Street Journal has a great article that outlines just why honesty is indeed the best policy in regards to your resume.  You can check out the article here.

Should you include a cover letter with your resume or not? It’s a question everyone who has submitted a resume has had to ask themselves. We hear that employers don’t read them and that they do read them. Some employers ask for them, while others don’t. Either way, it can be   trying to figure out exactly what needs to be included in the cover letter.

As if job hunting wasn’t stressful enough, now you have to add having a pristine cover letter to the mix. Well fear not, we here at CentralValleyJobs.com scour the web to bring you articles on the in’s and out’s of job hunting. Monster.com has a great article on how to avoid 7 no-no’s of cover letters. You can find their article here.

There are endless resources online that will help guide you to writing an effective resume, answering those dreaded interview questions and how to go about finding a job. We will highlight certain articles here.

The most essential piece to the job hunting puzzle is your resume. Pretty much any position you apply for, the employer will require you to send your resume. With the current climate that the job market is in, competition for open positions is at an all time high it seems. Tailoring your resume to reflect your interest in a given position will help make you stand out from a crowd. It’s a must and CareerBuilder has posted an article outlining 10 ways to make your resume stand out. Follow the link to read the rest of the article.

Click here to read the rest of the article

As you may have noticed, we have made some changes to CentralValleyJobs.com.  If you’re visiting the site as a job seeker, we are proud to inform you that we have made some changes to the job seeker portion and have added some new and exciting functionality.

On the previous site, you were limited to keeping only one resume on file.  With our new system, you can have multiple resumes on file.  We have also added a function that will allow you to save a job listing to your Jobs Inbox.  If you find a job that you are interested in, but aren’t able to review it in detail or apply to at that time, there is a link at the bottom of the ad that will allow you to save the job.  Click that link and the next time you view your Jobs Inbox, you can go right to the ad.

For those ads that accept online resume submission, you can submit the resume you have on file right from the ad, or if that ad is saved to your Inbox, you can submit your resume from there too!

We wanted to make sure you were kept informed of ads that are posted that might be of interest to you.  We understand you may not have the ability to check the site through out the day or even once a day, so we created the Jobs Notification Email.  Just submit your resume to our resume database, and click on the Jobs Noticifation Emails check box.  You will receive an email when a job is posted that matches the categories listed on your resume!  It’s that easy!

We are very excited to present the new CentralValleyJobs.com.  We hope you find the new system to be just as easy to use as it’s always been and we wish you success in your job seach.

Click here to get started with the resume submission process!

What is a resume supposed to do?

It’s NOT to get you a job. It’s to get you a phone call inviting you in for  an interview. If you go into an interview dressed in jeans, sneakers and a cut off T-shirt, in all probability, you won’t get the job.  If you’re not qualified for the job, you won’t get it either. The resume is seen BEFORE you are. It better convey the information the company is looking for. If it doesn’t, it’s just like wearing a T-shirt.

Read Employment Spot’s artice here!!

If you’re sprung on the idea of putting spring into your job search, there’s no better place to start than with cleaning up your resume. Polishing both the look and the content of your resume can bolster your confidence in all aspects of your search. Remember that it can take a village to take your resume to the next level, and feedback from friends and former colleagues is vital. AppleOne has some tips on how to upgrade and refocus your resume so that you stand out in your field.

Check out AppleOne’s article here.

Are you there God? It’s me, Stella.

I beg of you: don’t let this entire post consist of my kvetching and griping about people who are submitting resumes for an opening we have for Website Operations Manager.

I beseech you: don’t let me go on and on, complaining about the lack of basic jobseeker etiquette.  

God, what is up with the people who are neglecting the cover letter? Or the folks who fail to mention their familiarity with our website, or that they know what we do?

I find this strange. If you were applying for my job, wouldn’t you say something like, “I’ve used CentralValleyJobs.com for x number of years, and I have seen how your company is an important resource for jobseekers and employers in this region.” Or something like that.

It’s not that we want to be flattered. Instead, we want to see that candidates are aware of our role in this industry, or who understand how the site works. We’re not expecting someone to present us with a detailed business plan (although that would certainly be impressive.) We’re not expecting video resumes (although that might be fun). We’re not expecting perfection (that would just be strange).

But we are expecting candidates who can follow instructions. Who can show a little initiative, a little spice, a little something extra beyond straight-from-the-template, “To-Whom-It-May-Concern” communications.

We are expecting someone whose cover letter and resume tells us a story about themselves. Who can construct a narrative of sorts that shows us they’d be the right candidate for this job.  

Is that too much to ask? I didn’t think so before now.  

(Anyone out there want to prove me wrong?)